Stocking



March 30, 1937. A. s. HEMINGWAY STOCKING Filed July 31. 1935 1 INVENTORANNA SMITH HEMINGWAY ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 30, 1937 PATENT OFF-ICE2,075,610 srocxmo Anna Smith Hemingway, New York, N. Y.

Application July 31, 1935, Serlal No. 33,947 1301mm. (Cl. (ac-132) Myinvention relates to improvements in stock'- mgs.

An object of the invention is to provide a comfortable 'device of thecharacter specified. A further object of the invention is to providemeans in a stocking whereby the sole of the foot of the wearer will beprotected against irritation. A further object of the invention is toprovide integral pad means in the foot of a stocking. In the manufactureof full fashioned hosiery,

the foot is usually formed'with a longitudinal V seam in the sole whichfrequently causes discomfort particularly to those having tender andsensitive feet and this condition is aggravated when by reason of thewearing of high heels the weight is borne by the forward part of thefoot. An object of the present invention is to provide in the sole of astocking integral pad means whereby discomfort thus produced may beobvlated.

will be apparent from the following description.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in ,theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the inner sideof the sole of a stocking provided with my improved pad means orcushioning insert,

Figure 2 is a section of the foot of a stocking on the line 2-2 inFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section 'of the foot of the stocking, and aFigure 4 is'a detail illustrating a fragment of the fabric which may beused in making the sole of the stocking.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout theseveral views.

I have shown in the drawing a stocking I having a foot portion 2 and asole 3 with alongitudinal seam i as in the usual type of full fashionedhosiery.

The stocking I \may be of any desired material and the foot portion 2and sole 3 may be of the same material or of different material and maybe manufactured by any desired process or meth- 0d and it is not myintention to limit the invention to any particular type of stocking ormaterial.

In the fabrication of the sole portion 3 of the stocking I causeadditional soft yarn of angora wool or the like to be knitted or woveninto the fabric at that portion of the sole which is adjacent to theball of the foot thereby producing an integral pad portion or cushioninginsert 5 in the sole 3 on the lateral sides of the median longitudinalseam 4 thereof lhe said Other objects and advantages of the inventionpad or cushion 5 is preferably confined to that portion of the sole 3which comprises the metatarsal arch portion or ball of the foot.

The two counterpart side portions of the foot of the stocking maybe madewith a narrow sel- 5 vage edge 6 to be used in making the seam 4, ifdesired.

I prefer to so fabricate the sole 3 and the pad means 5 that the softyarn of which the said pad 5 is formed, is exposed on the inside of the10 said sole 3 and forms a soft non-irritating surface in contact withthe foot of the wearer.

When the foot portion of the stocking is manufactured fiat the addedyarn is interwoven, or

' knitted in two sections into the fabric of which 15 the sole is made,one section on each side of the edge provided for the seam in suchmanner that when the marginal edges of the fabric are brought togetherat the seam 4, (the said two sections; of interwoven ,or-knitted yarnpad meanszi will lie together on both-sides of the said seam 4,, therebyforming substantially continuous supports 5 on,ea'ch of the lateralsides of the seam 4 Thereis thus provided, at 'that-p ortion'of the soleof; the stocking on which the greater weight of the wearer is carried,an integral pad means which substantially reduces and minimizes theridge caused by the said seam'fl and prevents irritation of thefoot ofthe wearer.

{The sole portion of the stocking is ordinarily made of cotton fibre orthe like vegetable fibre possessing strength and wearing qualities and,

"for reasons well known to those skilled in the art, it is impracticalor undesirable to fabricate I the sole portion of the stocking entirelyof aniare mal fibre or wool. By my invention, the use of vegetable fibrethroughout thesole portion of the stocking may be retained and the woolis inserted in the sole at that portion only where pad means arerequired or may be advantageous. I prefer to use angora wool inthe-making of my improved pad means by reason of its inherentvproperties but I have found that cashmere yarn or other soft worstedyarns may be used to ad,- vantage. pad means may be inserted during thecourse of manufacture of the fabric by any well known means as will beunderstood by one skilled in the art, as by knitting additional strandsof J yarn along with the main orbody threadsimul- 5 tanecusly inplaiting relation or as maybe ,de'-,. sired. v t

I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details ofconstruction of the supporting soft cushion insert or pad means in thesole of a The added yarn forming the integral 45,

stockingor the form thereof which is illustrated in the drawingdiagrammatically and the padded portion 5 may be modified in form and indetails 'without departing from the spirit of my invention knitted of abody thread, a central seam longitudinally of the sole portion, and twoadditional threads knitted into the sole portion in plaiting relation tosaid body thread, one oneach side of said'seam and terminating short ofsaid seam whereby to reduce the ridge formed thereby, said threads beingof a softer material than said body thread and being limited to themetatarsal portion of the sole whereby to form a cushioning pad for themetatarsal portion of the foot..

. ANNA SMITH HEMINGWAY.

